I’m not sure what it is about manuals, but I find them to be rather boring reading. For decades I have lived a manual-free life, choosing instead to struggle along in ignorant amazement as I figure out technology on my own, sans-instructioni as they probably say in latin. But that all changed tonight when I read the manual for my Raymarine EV 100 Autopilot.
It’s been over a year since I bought the Catalina 270, and finally, in a moment of boredom, I finally read the Raymarine EV-100 manual. The autopilot has worked well so far, although the only time I really use it is when single handing and I need to leave the helm to raise a main or do something which requires the boat to stay on course. In other words, I’ve really only turned the autopilot on for a minute or two and then off again. The rest was uncharted territory to me. Tonight, I set out to test what I learned during a breathtakingly beautiful sunset sail.
Well you can imagine my surprise when I read that the autopilot has an auto-tacking feature! That is amazing. At a button press, the autohelm will slowly turn the boat through 135 degrees! I never imagined I would be replaced at the helm by a robot.
Auto-tacking is a fantastic aid when single handing. It almost does the whole maneuver for you. The only part it doesn’t do are the voice commands, so I have to be sure and yell “Ready about!”, respond with “Ready!”, press the auto tack buttons, yell “Helm’s alee!”, and then step forward and man the jib sheets. I feel rather foolish yelling at myself in this manner, but I’d be even more embarrassed if I miscommunicated with my crew while soloing.
This auto tack feature seems like something Q would have designed for James Bond’s sailboat. So for the first auto tack, I decided to make it end up at 007 degrees. And it did. It was so effortless, I even had time after sheeting in the jib to sit back and take a picture of my new heading as I switched it into standby.
As I arrived back at the marina and got the boat all bedded down, I realized I was not the same person I was yesterday. I had changed in one significant way. I made a new resolution. I’m going to read more boat equipment manuals from now on.
Primarily I’m looking for hidden features like torpedoes, flame throwers, and probably a jet pack.
